General News

  • If you look at the attached, you’ll see Kenwood Racing listed among the leading owners at Monmouth Park for the entire meet through Aug. 16th, with 50% wins and 100% in-the-money, along with Kelly Breen at the top of the leading trainers list (in no small part due to his fantastic work with Kenwood runners). With all our horses doing really well, we hope to add significantly to these totals before the meet ends. We have nine wins, seven seconds and two thirds from twenty one starts in July and August overall. When you are hitting at 45% win and 90% in-the-money for two months, a lot of things are obviously going right.
  • And now comes the news that racing at Monmouth Park will be extended into October with a “Meadowlands at Monmouth meet, a great chance to add to our starts and wins at our home track! 
  • Next, take a look at the letter, which appeared in the July issue of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred. It was spearheaded by Kenwood Racing and signed by over 40 industry leaders. The time for action is now!

Horse by Horse News

  • Rapstorerocks ran at Penn National this evening looking for his 3rd win in a row, got into a head to head battle right from the start, tried every step of the way but tired a little at the end to finish 4th. It was the right distance, right level, same winning rider and the race thus offers a great education in terms of how much ‘conditions’ matter. Note he was the distant 3rd choice in the morning line and 3rd choice in the wagering, despite coming off a win in his last race at the exact same distance - claiming price and the two horses listed with lower odds both having lost their last races. How could that be? This was a tougher group than he’d ever faced; non-winners of three are better horses than non-winners of two or maidens (the races he won and is no longer eligible for). Same thing goes for other young horses like Giuliana Vee, No Good Deed, etc. Until they show they can win against ‘open company’ (non-restricted races) they must face increasingly tougher horses, even at the same claiming level, every time they win. As horses win races they face tougher and tougher competition and the majority are ‘weeded out’ i.e. have to drop down to lower levels and/or can’t win and are retired. He ran well enough here to think he will be able to win this condition eventually but the water is deeper now.

Another BIG weekend, four horses at three tracks, but weather – scratch dependent, read below!

  • Great photo of New Found Treasure training at Penn National. She’s entered on the also eligible list for Friday, needs one scratch to run. Assuming she does get in, open company races on grass are almost always incredibly competitive so won’t be easy, but as well as she’s been running recently she should be very competitive here. We are looking at alternate options for her too.
  • Tracy Ann’s Legacy’s race went, she’s scheduled to run in a big field for a big purse at Monmouth Park Saturday in an exceptionally tough spot. Would need everything to go right to get the money but training really well. If it comes off the grass she’ll run, just as she did last time when she was a good 2nd in her Kenwood debut. She’s a much better turf horse but that’s true of most of the others in the race and on dirt it would be a much smaller field.
  • A surprise entry Saturday for Life on the Edge. She came out sound and well off her second win in a row at Monmouth Park and trainer Kelly Breen decided to take a look at a handicap race with a large purse. Leading rider Paco Lopez stays aboard. It would be by far the toughest level she’s ever faced and the longest distance she’s ever run (1&1/8 miles) but with heavy rain predicted for Saturday from an oncoming storm, it could well scratch down to a much smaller field. On the dirt her chances would move up as she’s proven on both turf and dirt and a lot of these are clearly turf runners. If we don’t like the spot we can scratch and look for one of several alternate spots in September. Check entries Saturday morning, as of now she’s running.
  • Fire's Finale had an exceptionally good workout Sunday morning at Monmouth Park, see video and work below. Went in company with an older horse, stayed with him easily the entire way, good time and galloped out strongly too. Kelly feels it was his best work by far since arriving at Monmouth Park. He was entered for Saturday at Laurel Park, MTO (main track only). If and ONLY IF the race comes off the grass early enough to ship him from New Jersey-Maryland, he’ll run. Hard to get races to go at a distance for two year olds, especially this early in the season, if he does run it would be the distance we want. Your horse is precocious, most two year olds aren’t ready to go long yet. We may have to come back short again if he doesn’t run here, we’re looking at options now at 5 different tracks, he’s ready to run and doing super! The longer they go, the better he’s going to be we think, but horses bred to go classic distances require even more patience. With luck and time some of them (not all) end up to be worth it

Horse Workout Notification
August 23, 2020
Fire's Finale (2-Year-Old)
Your comments for this horse were: Fire's final foal
Date: August 23, 2020
Track: MONMOUTH PARK
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 48:80 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 12/57

Updated possible entry dates for all your horses as usual can be found here.

  • Adhwaa training well at Monmouth Park, no issues, Kelly plans to breeze her for the first time this week
  • Seven Seven excellent off a very solid race and a nice step forward at Saratoga. We felt from the start this horse was bred and had the conformation to be best at classic distances and get better with age. Off this race, we have reason to feel pretty good about his future prospects, especially as a New York bred running for enhanced purses.
  • Pango well off a flying 2nd, beaten a head for the win and 2 noses ahead of the 3rd and 4th horses in yet another blanket finish at Penn National. One step further and he was the going away winner here. It was a very game effort for a horse that is clearly rounding into form and clearly moves up on the grass. He may be entered Friday for a race next week.
  • Giuliana Vee well out of her win last week at Penn National. She’s now had 2 wins and a photo finish 2nd in her last three starts and while not big enough to compete at higher levels, you have to love her grit and determination. Congratulations to her owners on another winning race!  
  • Itsgottabemyway doing great, look for her to make her Kenwood debut next month at Monmouth Park, there’s a race Sept. 7th we are pointing for.
  • No Good Deed good now. There’s a race for her Sept. 4th we will enter for Friday at Penn National.
  • Highwaytwentyseven doing very well at Monmouth Park, has a win and a second now in two starts for us since being claimed, both at significantly higher levels than we claimed him for. Will look for a race for him next month.
  • Blu Candy well at the farm. Expect her to return to training at Monmouth Park in September.

This has sure been one amazing summer and there’s more to come!